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Deep in California’s Sierra mountain range, massive ice formations are vanishing and expected to dissolve entirely by the beginning of the next century, resulting in summits without glaciers for the first time in human history, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The range's ice sheets are older than earlier understood, dating back tens of thousands of years, with a few as ancient as the last ice age, according to an article published last week.

“Our reconstructed ice age record shows that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in the history of humankind since known peopling of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the article states.

Worldwide Threat to Glaciers

Ice masses around the world are at risk amid the climate crisis. A study published in May of this year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are doomed to thaw because of global heating. If such heating rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the planet is presently on track for, as many as 75% will disappear, leading to ocean level increase and mass displacement.

Across the Western United States, glaciers have diminished significantly since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the article.

Concentration on Major Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on several Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness ice sheets – that are among the largest and probably oldest in the range. Their durability during climate warming makes them “indicators” for studying glacier disappearance in the west, the article notes.

Research Methods and Findings

Scientists looked at newly uncovered bedrock around the glaciers and collected specimens to ascertain how long the region was covered by glacial ice. They found that the glaciers have enveloped swaths of the mountain system for much longer than earlier believed – since before people inhabited North America.

California’s glacial sheets reached their maximum positions as long ago as thirty thousand years ago, the study's researchers stated, and a particular of the ice bodies researchers studied is believed to have expanded 7,000 years ago, earlier than once thought. The disappearance of glaciers, for the initial time in human history, demonstrates the profound impacts of the climate crisis, a researcher of the study said.

Ecological and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the initial ones to see the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, the study’s lead author. “This has ecological implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is highly intangible, but these ice masses are tangible. They’re iconic features of the Western U.S..”